Adjustable box for swtiches and the like.



PATENTBD AUG. 6, 1907.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 24' 1906.

WITNESSES:

- connections ,of some instrument, suchas a switch or these boxes are installed during the construction-of the building and necessarily before the finish or decorations UNITED MAXQD. BARON, or'iisw YORK, N 'Y i ADJUSTABLE BOX non swr rerms AND THE turni To all wlzom it may concern: l l Be it known that I, Mxx D. BARON; a citizen of th f United States, and a resident of the borough of Manhattan, in the county and State oi New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable 'Boxes for Switches and the Like, of which the following is a specification. I 7 v r This invention relates to wall boxes for use in house wiring. In this type of box it is necessarythat a complete fire proof inclosure be provided for the electric lamp fixture, with the line wires inclosed' in conduits within the walls of a building and at the same/time pro videa suitable support for this instrument and a suit? able outlet opening into a room. In modern practice can be accurately determined In many types oflboxes the outlet opening or receptacle'socket .of the box is Specification of Letters Patentd I J I Application filerl February 24,1906. Serial No. 2,

fixed relatively to the body portion, or at best is capable of but slight adjustment relatively thereto. Thus, as a result, when the installation i's'cornplete andvthe walls finished the exposed electric instrument attached to .the box is freqeuntly offset an unsightly amount from its properrposition. In this case a readjustment can onlybe made at great trouble and expense. I v

The advantage of an adjustable outlet opening'ha I long been appreciated and'rnany more orless unsuccesful attempts have been made to provide such a box.

Their most frequent defect has been the'provision of too little adjustability and even that little'at considerableincrease in cost.

An obj cct of the present inventien is to provide'an inexpensive box which shall have a receptacleopening possesmng a wide range of 'adjustability, preferably the maximum in alldirections throughout the confines of the body, portion, and which shall possess a closed in-' terior for all adjustments oitlie receptacle opening.

A preferred embodiment of this invention is illustrated in the drawings forming part of this specification and in which like numerals designate corresponding outline of the body portion and preferably arranged in pairs at the centers of oppom sides oi t he' body portion.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the :w- 2 ;lxt I PatentedAug. 6; 4997.

'3 is a cover plate overlapping the body 3 tion 1 and preferably formed integrally with a th'roahp ceptacle socket 4'whi'chprovidis' t-h the box. These two members 3 and" n'd located 7 designates ears integral with the plate 8 centrally on-oppos'ite sides thereof. 9 s am each provided with an "enlarged. slot 1 through these Sl0l3SlI1l2Oyl3llG 1ugs.2 and ;s I v the cover'portion to the body portion by means washers 10 which always bridge the-slots" l The size .and coiito ur o f thefcover'lplatel'd is deteroi the mined by the size of the o pen face ofthebodyp drtion and the size of the opeiiing in the socket 4; Breirably as size should be such hat when sni'edge (ii are sttket 4 comes flush with one side wall ofbody portion 1 the opposite edge of thelplate 3 will -jus't'cover,the iipen .face of the body portionl-and engagethe opposite'sirle wall of the body portion; This should'be true for all positions of the socketllso thatthel exactf limit for all thereis thus provided a two piece box possessinglthe maximumadjustment of its outlet opening iii ll directionswithinthe confines of the'befdy portio the shanks oithe screws 9 and-is siich-ns-to allow the cover portion to assume the extreme positiona relerretl to above where the socket '4 comes flushwith a side.-

wall of the body portion without the engziging with the plate 3 until one of these extreine p osition 's is actually reached, when further movement"-isret arded by'the' screws 9. The washers-'10 are prefeiallly just large enough to bridge the slots 8 when, tihelfifliaiili of the screws 9 are against the sidewallsjoi the slots; The

projections 2-also extend preferably the'sainetdistauce beyond the screws 9 as do thfe washers l'O'Sp that :t'dqp ble clamping action may-be provided on :ea'rs In addition to'the lateral adjustment oijthe socket .4, as described above,.the cover portion amt-socket 4 possess a considerable amount of rotary adjust-ability fdue to the play of the screws 9 in the slots 8.

If the body portion 1 .is square as is illustrated in the figures and which is the preferred form, the cover portion may be rotated through 90 before being clamped to the body portion. Thus it is apparent that} second pair of projections 2 as illustrated in the figures would be of service should it. be found desirable to have the socket 4 in a position90 displaced from that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. However, the body portion might be made with only Que pair of projections. 2, audigtill P s s at e s?!" The to;

' ay'b'e constructed by any approved process -sides of the cover plate is determined} vObviously L The size andoutliue of the slots 8 is, "del tcr" ined by such as by casting or stamping and may be of any suitable material such as iron. it is not essential that the body portion 1 be square as illustrated, as any suitable formis within the scopeof the invention. This is also 5 true of the receptacle socket 4 which may be of any suitable shape. Whatever the shape of the various parts may be 'it is an important feature of this invention that the outletopening in the socket 4 be capable ofthe maximum adjustment or change in position 110' afforded by the confines of the body portion 1, so that the said opening is always completely alined with the body interior, or, ifdesired, may slightly overlap the same.

Although the box as illustrated and described is deemed to be the preferred embodiment of this inven- '25 being provided with a socket, and nieans'for adjustabiy securing said cover portion to said body portion and providing lateral adjustability for said socket in every direction throughout the entire confines of said open mouth.

3. A' wall box comprising a body portion and a cover portion,.salii cover portion being provided with a socket,

Tmeans clamping said ,cover portion to said body portion, which, when released permits, by, means of a single movement, the adjustment of said socket in any lateral directlon.

p 4. A wall box comprising a body portion and a cover poition laterally and rotatably adjustable in all directions, and a single pair of clamping means for said cover portion controlling the lateral and rotary adjustability of said cover portion in all directions.

40 5. A Wall box comprising a body portion with an open face/and a cover portion, said cover portion being provided with a socket. and means for adjustably securing said cover portion to said body portionand providing lateral and rotary adjustability for said socket in every direction throughout the cntire confines of said open face.

(S/A wail box comprising a bo'dy portion and a cover' portion, said coverportion being provided with a socket, and means for providing lateral and rotary adjustability in all directions over the entire interior of said body portion' for said socket.

'l. A-wail box comprising" abody portion and a cover portion, said cover portion boinr, provided with a socket, and means'for providing for said socket, by means of a single 7 adjustment, lateral nnd rotary adjustabillty in all direc i'ions over the entire interior of said body portion.

, 8. A wall box comprising an open faced body portion,

and an overlapping cover portion, said cover portion provided wiiilra rocopiu'clo opening smaller than the open face of the body portion; and means securing said cover portion to said body portion and permitting rotary and lateral ll. A wail box comprising an open faced body pori'=on and an overlapping cover portion,- said cover portion provided with a receptacle opening smaller than the open face of the body portion; and means securing said cover portion to said body portion and permitting rotary and lateral adjustment oi the receptacle opening in all directions within the confines of the open face of the body portion and maintaining said cover portion in closing position for all adjustment; said means comprising one or more pairs of projections extending outwardly from opposite sides of said body portion, laterally projecting ears, each provided with a slot, on said cover portion, and clamping means passingmhrough Silld slots and engaging projections and said ears. r i

10. A wall box comprising an open faced body portion and an overlapping cover portion, said cover portion pro vided with a throat shaped centrally located receptacle socket, smaller than the open face of the said body portion; and means securing said cover portion to said body portion and providing unlimited lateral adjustability androtary adjustabiiity of said receptacle socket within the confines of the open faceof said body portion, said means also maintaining said cover portion in closing position for all adjustments.

11. A wall box comprising an open faced body portion and an overlappingcover portion; said cover portion being provided with a throat shaped ce'ntraliy located receptacle socket, smaller than the open face of the said body portion; and means securing said cover portion to said body portion and providing unlimited lateral adjustabllity and rotary adjustability of said receptacle socket within the confines of the open face of said body portion while maintaining said cover portion in closing position for all adjnstnients; said means comprising one or more pairs of projections extending outwardly from opposite sides of said body portion, ears projecting from opposite sides of .100 'said plate and provided with slots, and clamping meanspassing through said slots and engaging said projection and said cars. a

12. in a wall box in combination, an open faced body,

' p'ortion'being provided at its rim with one or more pairs of oppositely located outwardly extending lugs; a cover' portion comprising a fiat plate of. predetermined size greater than'the size of the open face of said body portion ears extending outwardly from opposite edges of said cover portion, each ear being provided with an enlarged slot and, means extending through said slots and engaging said lugs, said means being provided with members for bridging, said slots and engaging the upper face of said ears with a clamping action. I

iii. in a wall box in combination, an open faced body portion being provided at its rim with one or more pairs of oppositely located outwardly extending lugs; a cover portion comprlsim, a list plate of predetermined size greater than the size of the open face of said body portion and also comprising a'socket; ears extending outwardly from opposite edges of said cover portion, each ear being provided with an enlarged slot; and screws extending through said slots and engaging said lugs, said screws being provided with members for bridging said slots and engaging the upper face of said ears with a clamping action.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this spuciiil'zliioll. in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX 1). BARON. 

